1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for treating fluids and, more particularly, but not by way of limitation to an improved fluid delivery system for transporting a fluid to a vortex nozzle assembly housed therein.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,261,521 discloses a vortex nozzle assembly constructed with a pair of vortex nozzles positioned within a housing in opposed relationship. The housing maintains the axial alignments of the nozzles and their respective nozzle exits and, further, introduces fluid into the vortex nozzles. The fluid enters an interior tapered vortex tube of each vortex nozzle through a straight, round, port tangent to a toroidal cavity. The toroidal cavity is adjacent to a large end of the tapered, conical vortex tube, which is normal to the nozzle axis. The fluid departs from this toroidal section and progresses spirally out toward a nozzle exit as more fluid continuously enters the port. The transition from the toroidal shape to the conical shape is critical. If the inside edge of the cone is tangent to the outside of the toroid, the fluid exits too quickly to form complete coverage of the interior of the vortex tube. Conversely, if the inside edge of the cone starts at the bottom quadrant of the torrous, the exiting fluid interferes with the incoming flow and causes much turbulence.
As fluid is forced spirally out each vortex tube, centrifugal energy flattens a circular section of fluid against the side of the tapered vortex tube. This action accelerates the fluid as it spirals out toward the exit, creating a void inside the vortex tube chamber. When the fluid exits the walls of the vortex tube, it accelerates radially forming a hollow fluid cone. The hollow fluid cone from one vortex nozzle impacts with the hollow fluid cone from the other vortex nozzle inside the housing, which forms a liquid lined, closed chamber. This closed chamber develops a substantial vacuum due to the void caused by the centrifugal energy of the vortex. The energy from the impact of the two hollow fluid cones in the presence of this substantial vacuum effects changes to the fluid.
It is desirable and beneficial for the fluid to form a uniform and thin film, thus exposing the maximum amount of the surface area of the fluid to the effect of the vortex chamber. Additionally, this thin film of fluid becomes the interior liquid wall of the vortex reaction chamber. If the fluid is not uniformly distributed down the walls of the tapered vortex tube when it exits the nozzle, instabilities will develop in the impact pattern between the two nozzles leading to inefficiencies in nozzle performance. These irregularities in fluid distribution are inherent when one starts with a single, circular fluid cross-section entering normally to the axis of the nozzle and attempts to develop that fluid into a uniform, thin-filmed annular section.
Increasing the length of the vortex tube aids in the uniform film development by allowing the fluid more time to develop a stable flow pattern; unfortunately, the additional length greatly increases the frictional losses. These frictional losses lessen the impact energy when the two hollow fluid cones exiting the nozzles collide, thereby limiting the efficiency of the nozzle. The added length also decreases the centrifugal energy available, as the length must be added to the large end of the vortex tube. This makes the toroidal section larger and decreases the rotational speed for a given inlet velocity.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,435,913 adds another inline vortex tube to each nozzle to eliminate a singular entrance port. This has some beneficial effect, particularly when the paired vortex tubes are properly sized and positioned relative to each other. However, properly sizing and positioning of the tandem design nozzle pairs can prove challenging. One must carefully determine the relative sizes and placements as the vortex tube can interfere rather than amplify each other.
Accordingly, there is a long felt need for an improved fluid delivery system for transporting a fluid to a vortex nozzle assembly housed therein. The improved fluid delivery system more efficiently transports fluid to permit a more uniform film thickness in an individual vortex nozzle of the vortex nozzle assembly. The improved fluid delivery system further provides greater application design latitude but in a less complicated arrangement as was accomplished with either the single entry or the tandem nozzle design.